Alaska soldier's drug use an issue in war crimes hearing

[unhappycamper]

Alaska soldier's drug use an issue in war crimes hearing
By Hal Bernton | The Seattle Times
Posted on Sunday, September 26, 2010

SEATTLE - Along with his rifle and armor, Army Spc. Jeremy Morlock relied on a bag of prescription medications to help him get through a treacherous year in Afghanistan, where his body was rattled by bomb attacks.

In May, when Morlock was questioned about alleged war crimes, his prescription drugs included two anti-depressants, a potent muscle relaxer, two sleep medications and a pain reliever infused with codeine, according to a list provided by his defense attorney.

In two interviews with investigators, the 22-year-old Alaskan made a series of stunning allegations that implicated him and four other soldiers in what Army prosecutors assert were premeditated plans to murder three Afghan civilians.

These statements now form a central part of the Army's case against the five soldiers.

In a hearing scheduled for Monday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Morlock's civilian defense attorney, Michael Waddington, is expected to argue that his client's statements should be discounted because they were given while Morlock was under the influence of some of these drugs.